Cajuns’ Score Late, Top #13 LSU 4-3 in Ten Innings

Freshman Jonathan Windham's single to center field in the tenth inning scored Daniel Lahare with the winning run as the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns topped #13 LSU Wednesday night before 5,499 at M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.

Lahare led off the tenth inning with a single off LSU reliever Austin Bain (1-1) and moved to second on Zach Lafleur's sacrifice bunt. Hunter Kasuls was walked intentionally and after Bain struck out Monroe Moll, Hayden Cantrelle walked on four pitches. That brought up Windham, who entered the game just 1-18 on the season and 0-4 on the night. He hit Bain's first pitch in front of center fielder Zach Wilson as Lahare scampered home with the winning run, delighting the crowd dressed mostly in red.

It looked just an inning before like Bain might wind up being a hero. With two out and nobody on in the ninth and the Cajuns leading 3-1, reliever Logan Stoelke (1-0) walked Hunter Fedducia and hit Bryce Jordan with a pitch. Bain then pinch hit for Nick Webre and hit an 0-2 pitch over Lafleur's head in right field to tie the game.

Bain retired the Cajuns in order in the ninth and Stoelke did the same in the tenth, recording two strikeouts before the drama in the bottom of the inning.

LSU (9-5) got on the board in the first inning off Louisiana starter Colten Schmidt when Lafayette native Antoine Duplantis doubled and Beau Jordan followed with an RBI single.

But that would be all the Tigers would get off Schmidt who gave up just three other hits on his way to an eight inning performance that included no walks and five strikeouts.

"He was big for us tonight. He stayed rock solid and to give us everything he had...that was huge. We really appreciate the crowd tonight and he got adrenaline and I think that helped him," Coach Tony Robichaux said.

Louisiana (5-7) had a chance to get runs early off Tigers' starter A. J. Labas in the second inning when Cantrelle led off with a base hit. Windham reached on a fielder's choice with Cantrelle reaching second safely on Labas' throwing error. Kole McKinnon followed with a single to load the bases before Labas came back to strike out former Tiger O'Neal Lochridge, Gavin Bourgeois and Lahare to end the threat.

The Cajuns, who came into the game hitting just .174 as a team, collected only five hits through seven innings. But Bourgeois led off the eighth against LSU reliever Nick Bush with a single and moved to second on Lahare's bunt hit. Kennon Fontenot sacrificed the runners into scoring position and Kasuls delivered them both with a perfectly placed double squeeze bunt that went for a base hit. Kasuls stole second and came home on Cantrelle's two out single to give the Cajuns a 3-1 lead.

Louisiana wound up outhitting LSU in the game, tying their season high with eleven hits compared to six for the Tigers. Bourgeois, Lahare, Kasuls and Cantrelle had two hits apiece.

Louisiana will take on arch-rival South Alabama in a three game non-conference series this weekend at Russo Park. Game times are scheduled for 6:30 pm, 2:00 pm and 1:00 pm.